System of distribution



W. I. THOMSON. SYSTEM OF DISTRIBUTION. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 14. I9I6.

latentedSept. 23, 1919.

UNITED STATES PA ENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM I.

THOMSON, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO SAFETY CA3 HEATING & LIGHTING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SYSTEM or DISTRIBUTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. '23, 1919.

Application filed December 14, 1916. Serial No. 136,928.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM I. THOM- sort, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented an Improvement in Systems of Distribution, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electrical systems of distribution and with regard to certain more specific features to regulatin apparatus for lighting systems of cars an the like, One .of the objects thereof is to provide a simple and dependable system of the above type which will be readily adaptable to meet changes in conditions of use. Other objects are to provide a system of the above type of eflicient and accurate action in which the manipulation of the parts is simple and does not require care or skill. Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the structure hereinafter described and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing in which is shown one of various possible embodiments of this invention,

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan; and

Fig. 2 is a detail plan of a connecting device.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

- Referring now to Fig. 1 of the drawing, there is shown at 1 a generator having a shunt field winding 2 in which is serially connected a variable resistance element 3 preferably comprising a pile of carbon disks, the aggregate resistance of which varies with the pressure with which they are compressed. 7

, One of the leads 4 of this generator 1 passes through the current coil 5 of an ordinar automatic switch, thence through the sprlng-retracted contact 6 of that switch to t e main 7. Serially positioned in this main is a current regulating solenoid 8, and connected between this main and the main 9 and parallel one with another are the storage battery 10 and the lamps 11.

coil 12 which in conjunction with the series coil 5 controls the position of the automatic switch contact 6.

The pressure upon the resistance element 3 is brought about by a pair of bell crank levers 13 and 14 each urged as by the springs" bridged across the mains in series with a resistance element 19. .This last solenoid upon attaining suflicient field stren th will so relieve the pressure upon the carbon pile as materially to reduce the generator voltage.

Serially connected in the branch leading from the battery 10 is an ampere hou'r meter 20 the actuating coil of which is indicated at 21. This instrument acts in the usual way to swing an arm 22, in this case a contact, in one direction as current passes into the battery, and in the opposite direction as current is drawn out. hen this contact arm 22 engages the stationary contact 23 which should be with the battery in fully charged condition, the circuit is completed from a post 24 to a post 25. These posts are respectively electrically connected with one end of the resistance element 19 and With a point 26 intermediate the ends of this element. Thus with the battery fully charged, a low resistance shunt or substantially short circuit is completed about a considerable portion of the resistance element 19, resulting in a largely increased flow of current through the solenoid 18. When this occurs, the latter solenoid is empowered to so reduce the pressure on the carbon pile 3 that charging of the storage battery 10 will substantially cease.

If the type of battery be changed, as for example, a.change from a lead battery to one of the Edison type, or the reverse, there is often a change of voltage at which the battery is fully charged. For best action of the regulating apparatus, however, the amchange due to such substitution of batteries. 1 have accordingly proviclecl means "Wheiehv with an extremely simple adjustment, paratus "is readily etlai table for change were one to the other oi systems of batteries Without alllecting the action the eoil 18. At suitable points on the resistance element 19, conductors 2'? are letl to posts 28" These posts are adjacent the posts E l snel 9 ml are of the construction inclicetecl in detail in 2 of the in the post 28 there is slitlahly monntecl tact T; 1 29 provided with e short its outward. movement This condition oi the eonnection is by the set screw the ment with this pin a recess iceeeive the same, inclieatetl by e clotte lines 32, anti a set SGTQW atlaptetl locl'; it in connecting"- or closeel position. Mien a higher voltage better is employee, as for example one of the Edison type, these pins are helcl in the retracted eosition in full lines and the full efieet oi the resistance l9 is utilized. Under lower voltage charging conditions with lovvei" velta eae of cheiegetl hattetggr es example when a hattei'y of the leael type is en galoyeel A: l ere slicl into contachmal' "position the posts tlltl By this action a section of resistance is @011" cii'ceiteel from the post Q8 to respective o he position out the 2 meter contact. urthetniere the closing; of the circuit the inetei' shunts the entire resistance he to the point fi l, thus ive desired t may here he I e coil is used. eleetricel mag is i ell open. n niece in elineehect the volt" i that the 110 b wt in olcoeo sense to s hemeee eemhination, enei'stor, regulating means for seicl generator? comprising a voltage coil, :1 i'esistance element connected with salt i coil, manually controlled means adapted to vary the resistance a said element, a storage battery adeptecl to he charged lo said generator, anal en ampere hour meter through which current is letl to said. hattely arlapteel automatically When the hattery has reached a predeterminecl state of charge to vary said resistance,

-52. In apparatus of the class described, in .comhinetion, e "IEHEEEMJQT; storage battery atleptecl to of *e. theta eg' lating apparatus saicl c prising e voltege coil manually controlled means aclaptecl to very said. vol .e coil, anal edeptecl automatically to change the strength of said coil neon said hatter y heingzg charged hy said generator a predetermined extenh in apparatus oi the class combination, s eelaptecl to he means for saitl coil nieens change i Stl 10S coin'oinaeioin e noted to h means;

he appaiatus of the class ilescrihmh said voltage coil, means actuated u on said battery reaching a certain state oi charge adapted automatically to shunt a portion of said resistance element, and manually controlled means adapted to short-circuit portions of both the shunted and unshunted parts of said resistance element, said automatic means comprising an ampere hour meter traversed by current flowing through said battery.

6. In apparatus of the class described, in

' combination, a generator, a storage battery adapted to be charged thereby, a voltage coil, a resistance element in ser es with said voltage coil, an ampere hour meter traversed by charging current, means controlled by said ampere hour meter adapted to shunt a portion of said resistance element, and a pair of manually controlled devices respectively adapted to short-circuit portions of the shunted and of the unshunted parts of said resistance element, said devices, being adapted to be maintained in either open or closed position.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this 12th day of December, 1916. v

WILLIAM I. THOMSON. 

